Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-05-12
Gibson rations gave out and the army was
directed to live off OF the country. The

| OO44On oAlDGE AtfSOSS n BAYOU. fTOu
Sketch in Harper's History of the War.
region was well stocked with corn, bacon
sheep, chickens, turkeys, honey, etc The
corn was in cribs, from which it was taken
shelled and carried to the horse mills, one
OF which was on nearly every plantation
where it was ground into meal. Every
Southerner regards his home incomplete
without large and we'll filed snloke-house
This is rough out-building, consisting
usually Of one room and generally without
floor. AS soon as cold weather comes II
brings to the Southerner hog killing time
when from ten to thirty hogs are butchered,
the number depending on the size of the
family and thrift of its head. The pork is
first "salted down. in brine and after
soaking for time, hung up to drip in the
smoke-house. After a little while it is
thoroughly smoked by having under it for
days smothered fire made of hickory
After going through this process the
meat becomes bacon, and in the prepare
ton Of the latter the Southerner has NO
equal. Ham taken from his smoke-house is
matchless in taste and quality. Many
oke-houses were found filled with
bacon; others were discovered that bore
marks of hasty removal of contents to
some less conspicuous place for safe keep
ing.
Often tho meat was buried or put in some
retired spot in the woods, but through q
darby or some such means, its hiding place
was in nearly all instances sought out by
the persistent Northerners.
Homemade bacon was u favorite meat
with the soldiers and for a time they en-
Joyed with it corn bread made from the
freshly ground corn meal of the country
Lamb, turkey, chicken and honey for q
season made the bill of fare seem perfect.
But the greatest trouble OF subsisting an
army of a country in this way is the great
improvidence OF the soldiers. There is
more wasted than eaten.
However for moro than two weeks in
May, 1853 Grants army OF from thirty to
forty thousand men lived bountifully of
the region east and southeast of Vicks.
burg.
Many pleasant camping places were
found. One in particular comes upin men,
DRY which, If the writer's recollection
serves him we'll, was near Willow Springs
The hospital department encamped in the
shade of some bushy-like trees in the very
shallow and dry bed Of wide stream that
was covered smoothly over with the
whitest and finest sand. 1t was level and
clean as a thrifty housewives kitchen
floor. Here the corn-meal was made into
toothsome bread and eaten with fresh
young lamb, while luscious honey was in
plenty for dessert.
The writer about this time, remembers
longing specially for fresh milk, and re-
solved at the very first opportunity to get
some. One day when on the march farm
house was passed, and upon the opposite
side OF the road were lot of cows fastened
up in tho "copper"" as the Southerners
say. The writer was not long in getting
over the fence, nor long in selecting a cow
with a fine udder, from which he soon filed
his canteen. The fence was again hurried
ly clambered over and the regiment over
taken. By and by, when a drink of nice,
fresh milk could no longer be postponed,
the canteen was turned up, when, horrorsl
what bitter tastel Quinine could have
been no worse 1t was learned soon after
from native that in April the cows feed
upon young cane-shoots, and these give the
bitter taste to the milk.